Two people have died after a major building fire in Old Montreal on Friday morning, sources with Montreal police say.According to officials, the blaze started inside the ground-level restaurant on Notre-Dame Street East just after 2:40 a.m.
The flames quickly climbed the three-storey building, forcing the evacuation of at least two people. One person was sent to hospital with severe burns.The second and third floor of the building were being used as rental apartments. More than 125 firefighters were called to extinguish the five-alarm fire.
Crews have not be able to enter the building as the structural integrity is in question.A section of the structure partially collapsed during the fire.The cause of the fire is not yet known.According to the city’s building registry, the owner is Emile Benamour. Benamour was also the owner of the Airbnb building that caught fire in March 2023, killing seven people.Montreal police have taken over the investigation. A security perimetre was set up in the area and police will have a command post on site.